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Biomedical subjects

L Elving

Publications and source records attributed to L Elving.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Dysfunction of the cyclo-oxygenase pathway in the foetoplacental circulation in Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

AIM: In diabetes, perinatal morbidity is significantly increased. This may partly be related to functional changes in the foetoplacental vascular bed. In diabetes models, a defect in the cyclo-oxygenase pathway is a common observation. Therefore, we hypothesized that the human foetoplacental circulation of diabetic patients is characterized by dysfunction of the cyclo-oxygenase pathway, as well. METHODS: We performed ex-vivo perfusions of isolated placental cotyledons from healthy women (n = 14) and from patients with Type 1 diabetes (n = 9). The contribution of cyclo-oxygenase products to foetoplacental vascular tone was quantified by measuring the response to the cyclo-oxygenase inhibitor indomethacin. RESULTS: Baseline foetoplacental arterial pressure was comparable between controls and diabetic women (mean +/- sem, 21.7 +/- 1.2 vs. 24.4 +/- 2.0 mmHg). Maximum foetoplacental arterial pressure at highest dose of indomethacin was 32.8 +/- 3.0 mmHg in controls vs. 27.3 +/- 2.3 mmHg in diabetic women. The indomethacin-induced increase in pressure was reduced in diabetes (2.9 +/- 0.7 vs. 11.2 +/- 2.4 mmHg in controls, P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Under baseline conditions, the net effect of all cyclo-oxygenase products in the foetoplacental vascular bed is vasodilation. In diabetes, this vasodilator effect seems significantly impaired.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Impact of the introduction of a guideline on the targeted detection of hereditary haemochromatosis.

BACKGROUND: In 1998 a clinical guideline for the targeted, accurate and early detection and treatment of HFE-related hereditary haemochromatosis (HH), which comprises a test for the causative HFE-gene mutations, was introduced in our outpatient department. METHODS: The impact of this guideline was evaluated retrospectively. Data were acquired from medical records of patients with discharge diagnosis codes suggestive of HH (n=878 patients), obtained from a period before (n=422) and after guideline introduction (n=456). RESULTS: Combined measurements of serum transferrin saturation and serum ferritin rose from 12.2% (n=53) to 29.5% (n=138, p<0.001), leaving 70% of the patients eligible for HH not tested for iron parameters. The HFE-gene mutation detection test was correctly used in II (40.7%) of 27 tested patients and improperly interpreted in six (22.2%) of these 27 patients. Five new HH patients were diagnosed before and 13 after introduction. Seven of these 13 patients appeared to be incorrectly diagnosed, due to misinterpretation of laboratory results. Diagnostic costs of case detection for each accurately diagnosed patient were euro 2380 before and euro 2600 after introduction of the guideline. CONCLUSION: Evaluation of the introduction of a practical guideline for targeted HH detection reveals a low compliance with the guideline, resulting in both a small percentage of patients tested for HH and overdiagnosis of HH. Therefore, the introduction of the guideline should be combined with a more appropriate implementation strategy which includes education on its most critical points, i.e. the indication and interpretation of the iron parameters and the HFE genotype.

Biopsy↗
PubMed2003

Nitric oxide-mediated vascular tone in the fetal placental circulation of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in the regulation of vascular tone in health and disease. The present study addresses the contribution of NO to the baseline vascular tone in the fetal placental circulation of type 1 diabetic women. To this end, we performed ex-vivo dual perfusions of isolated cotyledons from seven women with type 1 diabetes mellitus and 24 healthy women. The fetal arterial pressure was considered to be a measure of fetal vascular resistance. The contribution of NO to the baseline vascular tone of the fetal placental circulation was quantified by addition of the NO-synthase inhibitor N(G)-nitro-arginine-methylester (L-NAME). Apart from the diabetic state, we studied the influence of exogenous insulin on the response to L-NAME. Mean (+/-SEM) baseline fetal arterial pressure was higher in diabetes (25.7+/-3.4 mm Hg vs 18.0+/-1.7 mm Hg, P<0.05). Maximum perfusion pressure after L-NAME was 87.9+/-7.1 mm Hg in diabetes vs 58.9+/-4.5 mm Hg in controls (P<0.01). The net L-NAME-induced increase in fetal arterial pressure was higher in diabetes (62.2+/-9.1 mm Hg vs 40.9+/-3.5 mm Hg, P<0.05). Although insulin induced a shift to the left of the L-NAME-curve, the net L-NAME-induced increase in fetal arterial pressure was not affected. We conclude that diabetes is associated with an increased baseline vascular tone of the fetal placental vascular bed. This can not be explained by attenuated NO-mediated effects. In contrast, the activity of the NO-pathway seems to be increased in diabetes. The latter observation seems not to be caused by high insulin levels.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Pedigree analysis in a herd of dairy goats with respect to the incidence of hydrometra.

The average incidence of hydrometra in a herd of white Dutch dairy goats during four oestrous seasons was 10.4%. Hydrometra recurred in seven does during separate oestrous seasons, which gives a repeatability of 16.3%. Pedigree analysis did not reveal a relationship between 42 pseudopregnant goats. Compared with the pedigrees of a random sample of 42 unaffected animals, there was no marked difference in the frequency of mating with one or more bucks. The frequency of hydrometra was significantly higher in daughters of pseudopregnant does than in the random group and also tended to occur more often in mothers of pseudopregnant goats. The results provide indications for a genetic influence on the occurrence of hydrometra in goats.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Ovine lentivirus induced indurative lymphocytic mastitis and its effect on the growth of lambs.

The effect of the indurative lymphocytic mastitis caused by infection with maedi-visna virus was quantified by comparing the pre-weaning growth of lambs from infected and uninfected ewes under the same conditions. A total of 73 infected, but clinically healthy, ewes and 75 ewes from a maedi-visna virus-free source were purchased to form a new flock; they were all three years old. The ewes were mated and the flock was managed as a normal field flock. Serum samples were taken at regular intervals and tested for antibodies to maedi-visna virus. The lambs were weighed at birth and at 14, 30, 50 and, finally, 80 days old, when they were weaned. The ewes were slaughtered, their udders were examined histologically, and the lesions were assessed by counting the typical lymphocytic follicles. Sixty-six per cent of the ewes that were seropositive at slaughter appeared to have follicles. A statistically significant association was found between the number of follicles in the udder and the reduction in the growth rate of the lambs. Lambs from ewes with the mean number of follicles weighed 1.7 kg less at weaning.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Ectopic pregnancies in Greenland 1981-1990 verified by histology.

From 1981 to 1990 503 cases of ectopic pregnancy (EP) among Greenlandic females were confirmed by histologic examination. The yearly number more than tripled from 26 in 1981 to 89 in 1990. When correction for age distribution and the total number of conceptions were made the increase in incidence rates for the population age 15-44 as a whole, was statistically significant. The rate of EP/100,000 females increased from 223 in 1981 to 581 in 1990 (slope 34/yr, p < 0.01, degrees of freedom 8, t = 4.996). EP/100 pregnancies increased from 2.08 in 1981 to 4.51 in 1990 (slope 0.22/yr., p < 0.01, degrees of freedom 8, t = 4.784). However, we did not find a significant increase in rates for females aged 15-24 years. Possible etiological factors behind the high and increasing incidence are discussed. The incidence rates of ectopic pregnancy in Greenland found in this study are among the highest ever reported.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Leukocyte adhesion deficiency in a Dutch Holstein calf: a case with a clear-cut family history.

A leukocyte adhesion deficiency characterized by recurrent (predominantly bacterial) infections, lack of extravascular polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) and pus formation has been described first in humans and then in dogs, and recently also in cattle. Because of important clinical similarities, a unitary explanation for the leukocyte adhesion deficiency (LAD) syndrome in mammals is proposed, inasmuch that an intrinsic leukocyte defect (i.e. mutations in genes encoding the common CD18 subunit), is thought to cause the disease. However, thus far, the hallmark of such intrinsic leukocyte defects, notably their heritability (or familial incidence), has not (yet) been unequivocally demonstrated. This is the first report to describe the occurrence of four Dutch bovine LAD (BLAD) cases with the clearest familial clustering observed to date. The diagnosis was based on the clinical features of very poor thriving, in general, of the calves, hyperneutrocytosis without appreciable left shift, and the absence of PMN CD11a, or CD11b, or CD11c using monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and/or Concanavalin A binding activity of PMN lysates in immunoblots. Interestingly, a familial clustering was observed also for below-normal PMN CD11c expression. Thus, a cow with low CD11c expression (50.4%) and delivering three of the study BLAD calves, also had a healthy descendant with low (44.9%) PMN CD11c expression. These findings suggested the possibility that both subnormal expression and lack of PMN CD11 expression are inheritable factors in cattle. Furthermore, a large prospective study using the present mAb for selecting relatives expressing the complete spectrum (0 to > or = 90%) of PMN CD11/CD18 expression would create a comprehensive study population for understanding both the role of genetic factors and of survival strategies in BLAD.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Association between urinary incontinence in women and a previous history of surgery.

In a cross-sectional study, 85% of 3114 women responded to a questionnaire on urinary incontinence and a history of abdominal, gynaecological and urological surgery. In 1987 the prevalence of urinary incontinence was 17%; 63% had undergone surgery, mainly gynaecological, and almost one-third of the respondents had had more than one operation. Bivariate and multivariate analysis showed stress urinary incontinence to be associated with previous exposure to surgery.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1992

Congenital tremor in Holstein Friesian-cattle.

In a female family line of Holstein-Friesian cattle a series of trembling calves was born within a period of ten years. All trembling animals were male; female calves appeared normal. At necropsy of one calf severe degenerative lesions of spinal cord and brain white matter were observed. Both myelin and axons were lost and some macrophages occurred within digestion chambers. Obviously degenerated neurones were not found. The lesion was interpreted as a single recessive sex-linked hereditary trait.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Parity as a correlate of adult female urinary incontinence prevalence.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate the possible association between parity, as indicated by the number of childbirths, and prevalence of urinary incontinence in an adult female population sample. DESIGN AND SETTING: A sample of 3114 women aged 30-59 years was selected at random from the population of Aarhus, Denmark, and mailed a self administered questionnaire on urinary incontinence and, among other things, parity. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2631 questionnaires was returned (85%) with a slight but significant decrease in respondency by age. MAIN RESULTS: The 1987 urinary incontinence period prevalence was 17%. Seventy eight percent were parous, and 24% had had three or more childbirths. In women aged 30-44 years, the prevalence of urinary incontinence was found to be associated with parity and, in women aged 45 years and more, with three or more childbirths. In parous women 30-44 years of age, the prevalence of urinary incontinence increased with age at least childbirth and, in women aged 45 years and over, it increased with increasing parity but decreased with increasing age at first childbirth. In parous women, no association was found with time since last childbirth. Among clinical types of urinary incontinence, stress incontinence consistently showed the strongest associations with indicators of parity. In women aged 30-44 years, nearly two thirds of the 1987 prevalence of stress incontinence could be attributed to parity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the hypothesis that pregnancy and childbirth are potent causes of female urinary incontinence, so that they exert considerable impact on the level of population urinary incontinence prevalence. In the individual woman, the effect seems to be cumulative and long lasting but fades with age.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Diabetic nephropathy in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: pathogenesis and treatment strategies.

Diabetic nephropathy is an important problem in insulin-dependent diabetic patients. Directly or indirectly it is a major cause of death amongst them and accounts for a great number of patients requiring renal replacement therapy today. The last decade has seen a considerable growth in the insight into the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of diabetic renal disease. In this article, the current knowledge concerning the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy and the implications of this understanding for therapeutic approaches will be discussed.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1987

[A stochastic computer simulation model for integrated zootechnical, veterinary and economic instruction regarding managerial decisions on dairy farms].

A teaching version of a (main frame) simulation model is described in the present paper. The primary purpose of this model is to study the background and effects of management decisions with regard to reproductive performance in dairy cattle. The initial information available is derived from a fertility-health chart, commonly used on commercial dairy farms in the Netherlands. The user than goes through the programme in an interactive manner in order to establish the correct diagnosis as well as to give suitable advice. As all the revenues and costs are simulated, it is also possible to consider the effects of advice from the economic point of view. In imitating real farm conditions as closely as possible, various events and effects of decisions are stochastically involved, i.e. as random samples on appropriate probability distributions rather than as fixed values. People involved in herd health programmes, therefore are given the opportunity of exercising in a field in which farmers cannot permit experiments. The experience gained in using the model in teaching veterinary and agricultural students has been positive so far.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1983

[A prospective study of the usefulness of an intravaginal electric resistance meter for estrus detection in cattle].

The use of a device for measuring vaginal electrical resistance was tested in dairy cattle at the time of 496 inseminations as well as in five heifers and four gilts throughout the oestrous cycle. The device can be used in oestrus detection when there is a reliable and consistent difference in vaginal electric resistance, which can be estimated between the day(s) of oestrus and during the other days of the oestrus cycle. However, the results of tests using this device in cattle and gilts showed marked variations within animals during successive heats and cycles as well as between animals on corresponding days of the oestrus cycle. This experiment therefore showed that the device was not an effective aid in heat detection.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

[Comparison of a number of parameters in the blood of lambs reared in normal conditions with those in the blood of lambs reared free from maedi on bovine colostrum (author's transl)].

The results of examination of the blood in a group of lambs reared free from maedi on bovine colostrum were compared with those in a group of controls reared in normal conditions. Examination of the blood included determination of the concentration of haemoglobin, the haematocrit, white cell counts, platelet counts, the total lipid level, the concentration of protein in the serum and the protein pattern of the serum. The group of experimental animals and that of the controls were found to show only minor differences as regards these constituents. The studies showed that lambs are capable of adequately absorbing the immunoglobulins of bovine colostrum.

Animal Feed↗